This invention relates to delay discarding sabot projectiles which are well known in the field of ordnance and may be defined as a discarding sabot projectile comprising in part a subcaliber core or projectile coacting with a full caliber pusher (sometimes referred to as a carrier) and including further means for delaying the axial separation between the pusher and the projectile until the assembled pusher/projectile has been shot from the muzzle of a rifled gun barrel and traveled a predetermined distance from the muzzle. A delay discarding sabot projectile is used as ammunition for automatic guns carried on aircraft. It is important, to prevent damage and/or destruction to the aircraft, to keep the pusher/sabot/projectile assembly intact until the assembly is a safe predetermined distance ahead of and/or away from the aircraft, whereat the pusher and projectile axially separate with the penetrator continuing its trajectory and with the parts of the carrier and sabot following a predictable flight to the ground without risk of collision with the aircraft from which the assembly was fired.
A significant problem with prior art delay discarding sabot projectiles has been difficulty in maintaining predictability of the time of separation, i.e., the distance traveled by the assembled pusher/sabot/projectile from the aircraft before the axial separation of the pusher and the penetrator. Those skilled in the art recognize that the pusher has relatively high aerodynamic drag. Thus, the relatively high velocity of the full caliber pusher and assembled projectile at the time of ejection from the gun barrel immediately begins diminishing as the assembled pusher/detonator/penetrator travels through the air. If the axial separation between the pusher and the penetrator occurs too quick or early, i.e., prior to the desired separation point, then there are two adverse results. The first is, as aforesaid, the debris of separation, i.e., the metal pusher and/or discarding sabot may strike the delivery aircraft, e.g., being ingested into the engines or otherwise causing harm and possible destruction to the aircraft. The second problem associated with early axial separation of the pusher and the penetrator is that the penetrator (following separation) will have a higher velocity than planned or intended and accordingly will probably miss the target, i.e., will probably overshoot the target. If the axial separation between the pusher and the penetrator occurs too late, i.e., after the desired separation point, then the assembled pusher/penetrator will have decreased substantially in velocity so that the penetrator velocity, after separation, will be too slow and the penetrator will fall short of the intended target.
Thus, a key object of this invention is to provide an improved delay discarding sabot projectile having significantly increased hitting accuracy by accurately controlling the time/distance from the aircraft of the actual axial separation between the pusher and the penetrator, a collateral object being to provide a safe apparatus so that there will not be danger for the delivery aircraft all as aforesaid.
Prior art delay discarding sabot projectiles has typically taken the form of a metal pusher having a forward facing recess surrounding a high density metal penetrator, both pusher and penetrator typically being right circular cylindrically shaped members. The prior art pusher typically had a pyrotechnic delay column and expulsion charge adapted to explode after the assembled pusher/penetrator has been ejected from the gun barrel so as to axially separate the penetrator from the pusher. The inherent problem with the prior art configuration was that there could, because of normal machining/manufacturing variations, be significant differences in dimensions between the outer diameter of the penetrator and the inner diameter of the aforesaid recess. The difference in dimensions vary from round to round and hence result in a substantial variation of release forces, i.e., the forces tending to hold the penetrator within the pusher. This uncontrollable variation in release force accordingly would dramatically and significantly change the separation point from one round of ammunition to another, greatly reducing the overall accuracy, i.e., failing to produce a projectile having a low dispersion factor. My invention has solved this problem in a unique manner, i.e., producing a projectile that can be made on a low cost mass production basis and having a very high accuracy, i.e., a low dispersion factor.